Labrador Retriever Club collection

File

Identifier: AKD-1-24

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Labrador Retriever Club Collection includes materials from the breed's National Specialty dog shows, club documents and photographs, and club publications. National Specialty items include catalogs, premium lists, judges' slips, and photograph albums. Club documents and photographs include policies and a description of the club, as well as slide images of Labradors unrelated to shows. Finally, club publications includes informational pamphlets, club newsletters, books, and annual club yearbooks from 1994 to 2014.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1938-2010

Creator

Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. (Organization)

Access Restrictions

This material is open to research without restrictions.

Publishing and Use Restrictions

Many of the materials, particularly photographs, may still be under copyright protection and require permission of the AKC and/or the creator before publishing. Please consult the Archivist.

Club and Breed History

Club History: The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. is the AKC recognized national parent club of the Labrador Retriever, dedicated to preserving the integrity of the breed. The club was incorporated in October 1931 in New York by Franklin B. Lord and other sportsmen. The Club held its first National Specialty show in May 1933 in New York City, where judge Mrs. Marshall Field awarded Best in Show to Boli of Blake, owned by Mr. Lord. In November of the same year, Boli of Blake became the first American Champion Labrador. The LRC sponsors an annual National Specialty event week in October, including a specialty show, obedience and agility competitions, retrieving tests and educational seminars. The club also hosts two hunting retriever tests and two field trials every year. The LRC publishes a quarterly newsletter, annual yearbook, and educational materials, as well as a Breeders Directory on its website, www.thelabradorclub.com.

Breed History: Labrador Retrievers originate from Newfoundland, where the dogs were used for water fowl retrieving, then imported to England. They were first recognized as a breed by the Kennel Club (England) in 1903. The first registration of Labradors by the AKC was in 1917. The origin of the U.S. breed can be traced to an influx of British dogs and Scottish retriever trainers in the 1920s and 1930s. Labradors are mainly retriever trial and shooting dogs, but also exhibited at bench shows, successful guide dogs, and used for search-and-rescue work. Labrador Retrievers are medium sized dogs, strongly built, with a dense, short, water-resistant coat, and an otter-like tail. They can be black, chocolate, or yellow in color.

Source: American Kennel Club. The Complete Dog Book, 20th ed. New York: Ballantine Books. 2006.

Source: Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. History: About the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc., available at www.thelabradorclub.com/subpages/show_contents.php?page=History, visited 17 Aug. 2016.

Physical Description

6.1 Linear Feet (in nine boxes (five document boxes, two photograph album boxes, 1 DVD/CD box, and one mixed collection slide box))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Labrador Retriever Club collection documents the activities of the club dedicated to the sporting breed, chiefly dating back to 1990. National Specialty show items include catalogs, premium lists, judges' slips, and photograph albums. Club documents and photographs include policies and a description of the club, as well as slide images of Labradors unrelated to shows. Club publications include informational pamphlets, club newsletters, books, and annual club yearbooks from 1994 to 2014.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into three groups based on content and form:

Dog shows [including photographs], 1938-2006
Club documents and photographs, c. 1990-2010
Publications, 1945-2006

Provenance

Marianne Foote, a club director, gathered and sent materials to the AKC Archives on January 20, 2007. Deed of Gift Agreement signed by Nelson Sills, President of the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc., on April 20, 2009.

Related Materials

Dorothy Howe Collection of Labrador Retriever materials, AKE 20.6

Processing Information

Photographs in a three ring binder were moved to an archival three ring photograph album box. Digital files on CD-Rs in the collection were copied to the AKC's server.